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University  of  NortH  Carolina 

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Doc. 

No.  76.]                                             [Ses. 

1858-'9. 

Ordered  to  be  Printed. 

Holden  &  Wilson,  Printers  to  the  State. 

REPORT  ON  THE  BILL  TO  AMEND  THE  ACTS  OF 
1854-'55  AND  lS56-'57  TO  FACILITATE  THE  CON- 
STRUCTION of  the  WESTERN  NORTH-CAROLINA 
RAILROAD. 

The  committee  on  internal  improvements  to  whom  was  re- 
ferred a  "  a  bill  to  amend  the  acts  of  1854-'55  and  1856-57, 
in  relation  to  the  Western  North-Carolina  Railroad,"  have 
had  the  same  under  consideration,  and  authorized  the  under- 
signed to  make  the  following  report — strike  out  after  the  en- 
acting clause  and  insert  amendment  marked  A.  : 

This  great  State  enterprise,  embracing  a  line  of  railway 
connecting  Newbern  and  Beaufort  on  the  Atlantic  ocean  and 
its  tributary  streams  on  the  Atlantic  slope,  with  Asheville  west 
of  the  Blue  Ridge,  to  be  extended  to  a  navigable  point  on  the 
waters  of  the  Mississippi,  had  its  origin  as  far  back  as  1828, 
while  railroads  were  yet  their  infancy,  and  while  the  max- 
imum speed  of  the  locomotive  was  six  instead  of  sixty  miles, 
and  the  attention  of  the  people  of  North-Carolina  to  the  im- 
portance of  the  enterprise,  had  for  its  first  advocate  Professor 
Caldwell,  formerly  President  of  the  University  at  Chapel 
Hill,  as  will  be  seen  by  reference  to  his  Carlton  letters,  writ- 
'6  ten  in  1828,  in  favor  of  this  projected  railroad. 

It  is  true  that  his  plan  recommended,  Was  like  the  railroad 
system  at  that  time,  very  imperfect,  but  at  the  same  time  it 
is  proper  to  admit  that  the  line  recommended  for  this  great 
State  enterprise,  covers  the  route  which  experience  and  sur- 
veys have  decided  in  favor  of;  and  it  is  but  clue  to  Professor 


2  Document  ~No.  76.  [Session 

Caldwell,  and  to  his  memory,  to  say   that  he  was  the  first  to 
advocate  this  great  enterprise. 

The  points  designated  in  the  line  recommended  by  him, 
passed  from  JSTewbern  to  Raleigh,  thence  to  Salisbury,  thence 
to  Morganton,  and  thence  through  the  Swananoa  gap  of  the 
Blue  Ridge  to  Asheville  on  the  French  Broad  river,  which  is 
by  him,  after  a  mathematical  examination,  represented  as  not 
varying  at  any  point  from  an  air  line  more  than  12  miles. 

The  Carlton  letters  having  attracted  public  attention  to  the 
importance  of  this  railroad  communication,  it  will  be  perceived 
in  the  debates  of  the  Convention  that  amended  the  Constitu- 
tion in  1835,  that  its  completion  was  looked  to  as  the  means 
of  increasing  the  value  of  property  in  the  west,  and  thus  by 
equalizing  taxation  the  great  inequality  in  representation  in  the 
Senate  between  the  eastern  and  western  portion  of  the  State 
would  be  removed,  and  the  preponderance  in  favor  of  the 
east  in  that  branch  of  the  Legislature  would  not  be  greater 
than  the  majority  in  favor  of  the  west  in  the  House  of  Com- 
mons ;  and  that  the  concurrence  of  both  being  necessary  to 
the  passage  of  a  law,  one  would  exercise  a  wholesome  check 
on  the  other.  The  west  could  pass  no  law  without  the  sanc- 
tion of  the  east,  the  east  could  pass  no  law  without  the  sanc- 
tion of  the  west. 

This  inferrence  is  further  sustained  by  the  provisions  of  the 
act  of  1836  passed  to  give  the  aid  of  the  State  to  extend 
the  road.  The  State  was  to  subscride  two-fiths  as  fast  as 
solvent  individuals  subscribed  three-fifths.  But  with  this  pro- 
portion of  State  aid,  it  was  seen  that  the  work  coull  not  pro- 
gress. After  receiving  the  recommendation  of  nearly  all  the 
Governors  of  the  State  for  a  period  of  twenty  years,  the  State 
finally  adopted  energetic  measures  to  complete  this  great  State 
work  at  the  session  of  1S48. 

By  the  act  of  that  and  subsequent  sessions  of  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly,  the  State  has  authorized  the  subscription 
in  behalf  of  the  State  to  the  aggregate  amount  of  $8,466,500, 
and  upwards  of  three  hundred  miles  of  the  road  from  Beau- 
fort Harbor,  via  Kewbern,  Goldsboro',  Raleigh,  Greensboro', 
and  Salisbury  to  Statesville,  had  been  completed  equipped, 


1858-9.]  Document  No.  76.  3 

and  from  Statesville  to  Morganton,  the  road  is  under  contract 
to  be  completed  against  the  1st  of  January,  1S60.  This  leaves 
of  the  road  to  be  completed,  without  any  additional  appropri- 
ation, extending  from  Morgan  ton  to  Asheville,  across  the 
Blue  Ridge,  62  miles.  This  portion  of  the  road,  under  the 
act  of  1851— '55,  is  formed  into  two  divisions,  the  2d  and  3rd, 
andjio  State  aid,  under  the  existing  laws  can  be  given  to  said 
road,  embraced  within  the  2d  and  3rd  division,  until  the  1st 
divison  to  Morgan  ton  is  completed,  and  equipped.  By  the 
act  of  1856— '57,  the  1st  division  of  the  road  is  extended  so  as  io 
reach  Morganton,  and  the  company  were  authorized  and  did 
open  books  for  the  subscription  of  stock  for  the  2d  division  of  the 
road,  to  be  extended  from  Morganton  to  the  Blue  Ridge  road. 
The  present  bill  proposes  to  consolidate  the  2d  and  3d  divis- 
ions of  the  road  so  as  to  form  one  division  from  Morganton  to 
the  French  Broad  river,  near  Asheville,  a  distance  of  62  miles, 
but  in  putting  the  road  under  contract,  the  company  is  requir- 
ed to  place  the  road  under  contract,  commencing  at  its  eastern 
terminus,  onl}'  as  fast  as  the  stock  is  subscribed,  and  so  as 
to  prevent  any  portion  of  the  road  remaining  unfinished  ;  and 
as  a  further  guarantee,  the  compan}T  is  required  to  retain  out 
of  the  pay  of  each  contractor  ten  per  cent,  on  his  estimates, 
until  his  contract  is  completed,  and  to  prevent  the  company 
from  increasing  any  demands  on  the  treasury  to  a  greater  ex- 
tent than  is  contemplated  by  the  act  of  1854— '55,  the  bill  pro- 
vides that  the  State  shall  not  be  called  on  in  payment  of  her 
subscriptions  for  said  road  for  more  than  $100,000  in  the  year 
1859,  or  more  than  $200,000  in  the  year  1860.  While  under 
the  acts  of  1854-'55,  and  1856-'57,  the  company  without  this 
amendatory  act  would  as  soon  as  the  individual  stock  is  sub- 
scribed, have  the  right  to  call  on  the  State  for  the  subscription 
of  $600,000  to  be  paid  pare  jpassue,  with  payments  made  by 
the  individual  subscribers  of  stock,  and  thus  instead  of  in- 
creasing the  demands  on  the  treasury,  as  some  of  the  opponents 
of  the  bill  have  supposed,  it  actually  diminishes  the  demand 
for  the  year  1860,  $300,000.  And  to  meet  the  payment  of  in- 
terest on  the  bonds  to  be  issued  for  that  object,  ample  provis- 
ion has  already  been  made  in  the  Revenue  bill,  prepared  at 


4  Document  jSo.  76.  [Session 

this  session.  The  company  desire  the  change  contemplated 
in  the  bill  for  the  purpose  of  putting  a  small  force  upon  the 
Blue  Ridge,  so  that  the  mountain  portion  of  the  road  which 
connects  the  valley  of  the  Catawba  and  French  Broad,  not 
exceeding  ten  miles,  may  be  completed,  with  the  grading  east 
of  the  Blue  Ridge,  which  would  facilitate  the  completion  of 
the  road  to  Asheville  several  years  socner,  and  at  a  much  less 
cost  than  it  could  be  finished  under  the  former  acts.  The 
bill  also  makes  provision  that  the  company  shall  have  the  right 
to  select  the  best  route  across  the  Blue  Ridge,  instead  of  be- 
ing confined  to  the  route  through  the  Swannona  Gap,  under 
the  restrictions  of  the  act  of  1856-?57.  This  it  is  believed 
wj'll  be  beneficial  to  the  company  and  the  State,  at  least  in 
two  ways.  1st.  It  will  cause  the  best  route  to  be  selected. 
2d.  It  will  be  the  means  of  strengthening  the  subscriptions 
on  the  line  which  may  be  selected. 

Fixing  the  location,  by  law,  across  the  Blue  Ridge,  tends  to 
lessen  the  influence  in  favor  of  subscriptions  on  the  favored 
line,  which  accounts  for  the  opposition  to  the  subscription  of 
Burke  county.  The  bill  contains  another  provision,  which  re- 
moves the  objections  urged  against  the  extension  beyond  the 
Blue  Ridge,  founded  upon  the  allegation  that  the  road  will  ex- 
ceed the  appropriation,  by  providing  that  "the  State  shall  not 
be  called  on  to  make  any  new  appropriation  to  complete  the 
division  of  the  road  from  Morganton  to  Asheville." 

The  committee,  while  the  bill  reported  only  makes  provi- 
sion to  facilitate  the  construction  of  the  road  as  far  west  as 
Asheville,  the  point  lixed  in  the  charter,  and  confines  and 
limits  the  company  to  the  appropriation  already  made,  deem 
it  advisable  to  advert  to  some  of  the  advantages  which  will 
result  from  the  completion  of  that  much  of  the  road,  and  to 
the  original  intention  of  the  State  with  reference  to  the  exten- 
sion of  the  road  beyond  the  French  Broad  river  to  the  Tennes- 
see line  in  the  d'rection  of  Chattanoga,  and  .some  of  the  ad- 
vantages to  the  State  and  to  all  the  connecting  improvements 
on  the  Atlantic  slope,  which  raaj  be  anticipated  upon  the 
completion  of  the  road  as  originally  contemplated,  when  the 
four  millions  were  appropriated  under  the  act  of  1854-'55, 


1S5S-9.]  Document  No.  !S.  5 

and  for  which  a  survey  and  location,  subject  to  the  approval 
of  the  next  General  Assembly,  has  already  been  authorized. 

The  committee,  in  order  to  demonstrate  this  as  the  location 
designed,  have  deemed  proper  to  advert  to  the  original  pro- 
vision of  the  bill,  on  which  the  act  of  1854— '55  was  based. 

The  first  section  of  the  bill,  after  the  acting  clause,  provides 
"That  for  the  purpose  of  effecting  a  railroad  communication 
between  the  North-Carolina  Railroad,  now  being  built,  and 
the  valley  of  the  Mississippi,  the  formation  of  a  corporate  com- 
pany, with  a  capital  stock  of  six  millions  of  dollars,  is  Hereby 
authorized.'" 

The  act  itself  authorized  the  construction  of  a  railroad  to 
the  Tennessee  line,  in  the  direction  of  Chattanooga. 

The  survey  authorized  at  this  session  will  determine  the 
practicability  of  the  route  west  of  French  Broad.  If  practi- 
cable, as  the  route  is  upwards  of  forty  miles  shorter  than  the 
route  by  the  Paint  Rock  and  Ivnoxville,  it  is  quite  probable, 
if  the  cost  grade  and  curviture  be  favorable,  that  it  will  be 
adopted.  The  next  question  to  be  considered  is,  as  to  such 
extension  proving  prefitable  to  the  roads  connecting  with  this 
great  trunk  line. 

The  attached  report  marked  A  proves  that  it  is  favorable 
for  a  railroad. 

From  Asheville  the  first  depot  would  be  in  the  Hominy  val- 
ley, the  second  in  the  Pigeon  valley,  the  third  in  Richland 
valley,  and  the  fourth  in  the  Copper  Region  of  Jackson  coun- 
ty, of  itself  sufficient  for  a  single  track  railroad,  embracing  an 
area  of  five  hundred  square  miles,  superior  to  New  England 
in  climate,  soil,  and  water  power,  in  the  centre  of  the  South. 

By  examination  of  the  map  of  the  State,  and  of  the  United 
States,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  route  west  from  Asheville  to 
complete  the  connection  with  Chattanooga  passes  over  but 
one  elevation,  the  divide  between  the  waters  of  the  French 
Broad  and  Tennessee  rivers,  which,  agreeably  to  Professor 
Mitchell's  report,  is  as  follows:  At  Asheville  the  elevation 
above  tide  water  is  2200  feet;  at  Waynesville,  a  distance  of 
thirty  miles,  2722 ;  at  the  head  of  Scots  Creek,  which  is  the 
only  divide  between  Asheville  aud  Chattanooga,  is  3240  feet. 


6  Docukent  No.  76.  [Session 

This  gives,  as  the  maxium  grade,  from  Asheville  to  "Waynes- 
ville  seventeen  feet ;  from  "Waynesville  to  the  divide  at  the 
head  of  Scotts  Creek,  seven  miles;  seventy -three  feet  without 
a  tunnel — with  a  tunnel  the  grade  would  be  reduced  to  sixty- 
eight  feet,  which  is  the  grade  of  the  East  Tennessee  and  Vir- 
ginia road.  From  this  point  the  line  descends  with  the  Ten- 
nessee river  to  Chattanooga  without  any  mountain  or  elevated 
point.  The  maxium  grade,  agreeably  to  Major  Gwynn's  report, 
is  about  forty-five  feet  to  the  mile  in  passing  the  Smoky  or 
Iron  Mountain  ;  distance  from  Asheville  to  Chattanooga,  by 
this  route,  about  200  miles,  which  runs  but  little  from  an  air 
line,  with  only  a  little,  upward  of  seventy  miles,  to  build  ;  the 
remainder  of  the  line  is  either  constructed  or  in  progress  of 
construction. 

By  a  diverging  line  up  the  Savannah,  in  Jackson  county, 
of  twenty  miles  in  length,  to  connect  with  the  Blue  Eidge 
road,  a  line  is  established  with  Atlanta,  Ga.,  shorter  by  fifty 
miles,  than  any  other  line  that  has  been  established  ;  and  by 
a  diverging  line  of  sixty-five  miles,  from  the  Tennessee  river 
to  Duck  Town,  a  shorter  line  to  Yicksbnrgand  New  Orleans, 
by  near  one  hundred  miles,  than  the  East  Tennessee  and  Vir- 
ginia road,  would  be  effected.  Duck  Town,  agreeably  to 
a  report  which  will  be  seen  in  the  printed  reports  of  185C-?57, 
furnishes  frieght  to  the  aggregate  amount  of  29,000  tons  per 
annum.  This  portion  of  the  line,  between  the  Tennessee 
river  and  Duck  Tov\n,  is  along  the  side  of  white  statuary 
marble  and  soap  stone,  without  limitation  as  to  quantit}', 
which  will  bear  transportation  to  the  seaports,  and  through 
an  iron  region,  equal,  if  not  superior,  to  the  iron  region  in 
"Wales. 

The  question  to  be  considered  is,  will  a  road  combining 
these  advantages  and  being  the  great  thoroughfare  of  travel 
from  New  Orleans  to  "Washington  City  and  New  York,  with 
the  transportation  of  the  great  mails  between  these  points  and 
the  Pacific,  justify  the  expenditure  ?  The  best  way  to  deter- 
mine this  point  is  to  examine  what  has  been  the  result  of  the 
construction  of  similar  roads  leading  from  the  Atlantic  ocean 
to  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi.     The  appended  table  marked 


1858-'9.]  Document  No.  76.  f 

B.  shows  in  a  condensed  form  the  length  and  cost  in  the  ag- 
gregate, and  per  mile,  of  all  the  lines  of  railroad  extending 
from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Mississippi,  connecting  the  Atlantic 
ocean  with  its  navigable  streams  In  the  Atlantic  States 
of  Georgia,  South-Carolina,  Virginia,  Maryland,  Pennsyl- 
vania, New  York  and  Massachusetts,  the  result  of  all 
the  roads  that  have  connected  the  Atlantic  with  the 
Mississippi  valley,  as  will  be  seen  by  reference  to  the  con- 
densed statement,  proves  that  a  nett  income  has  been  pro- 
duced sufficient  to  pay  the  interest  on  the  cost,  and  to  create 
a  sinking  fund  sufficient  to  pay  the  debt  by  the  time  it  falls 
due,  without  taxing  the  people  of  the  State,  by  substituting  a 
tax  on  through  commerce  and  travel.  This  leads  to  the  im- 
portant question  to  be  determined  by  this  Legislature,  shall 
North-Carolina  complete  her  railroad  connection  with  the 
valley  of  the  Mississippi,  and  thus  relieve  the  people  of  the 
State  from  the  tax  to  pay  the  interest  and  to  create  a  sinking 
fund  to  pay  the  State  debt,  and  finally  relieve  the  people  from 
the  payment  of  the  poll  tax  for  State  purposes,  or  shall  the 
State  fail  to  complete  this  railroad  connection,  and  thus  be 
forced  not  only  to  tax  the  people  to  pay  interest  on  the  State 
debt,  but  the  principal,  and  permit  the  large  sum  in- 
vested in  internal  improvements  to  remain  unproductive? 
And  while  all  other  States  obtain  connections  with  the  Missis- 
sippi valley,  acknowledge  that  the  people  of  North-Carolina 
are  inferior  to  the  people  of  her  sister  States,  and  justly  enti- 
tled to  be  considered  the  Rip  Yan  Winkle  of  the  South,  the 
committee  entertain  the  opinion  that  the  people  of  North- 
Carolina  are  not  prepared  to  acknowledge  or  admit  their  in- 
feriority, and  that  they  will  carry  out  their  great  State  work, 
and  thus  relieve  the  people  of  the  State  from  the  interest  and 
principal  of  the  State  debt  contracted  for  internal  improve- 
ments, and  to  place  the  State  on  terms  of  equality  with  her 
sister  States,  socially,  commercially  and  politically.  (For 
comparative  distances  from  the  upper  end  of  the  line,  see 
table  marked  C.) 

Prof.  Latrobe's   letter  approving  the   last  survey  of  the 
Swananoa  Gap,  marked  D. 


8  Document  ~No.  76.  [Session 

The  committee   therefore   recommend   the  passage  of  the 
amendment  to  the  bill,  herewith  submitted. 

W.  H.  THOMAS, 
February  4th,  1859.  Member  of  the  Committee. 


1858-'9.]  Document  No.  76. 


(A.) 

Columbia,  December  12,  1S56. 

Dear  Sir:  I  am  just  in  the  receipt  of  your  favor  of  the  6th 
instant.  I  have  not  by  me  a  copy  of  my  letter  to  you  of  the 
Duck  Town  route — it  presents  no  difficulties  worthy  of  note 
— no  tunnels,  no  heavy  work  excavation — but  little  bridging, 
and  the  grades  and  curvatures  will  be  comparatively  light. 

Enclosed  you  will  find  Mr.  Randolph's  report.  On  the  re- 
cognizance of  the  route  from  the  mouth  of  the  Tuckasege  Ri- 
ver to  the  French  Broad,  Mr.  Randolph  has  the  experience 
of  twenty  years  in  mountainous  countries — he  has  twelve  or 
fifteen  years  on  the  Raltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad. 

You  may  have  every  confidence   in   his   report.      Indeed 
there  are  very  few  in  whose  judgment  I  have  more  reliance. 
You  may  regard  his  estimate  as  ample. 
Yours  truly, 

WALTER  S.  GWYNN. 

W.  H.  Thomas,  Esq.,  Raleigh,  N.  C. 


Andekson,  S.  C,  December  S,  1856. 

Ma  joe  "Walter  S.  Gwtnn  : 

Dear  Sir  :  In  compliance  with  your  instructions,  I  start- 
ed from  Anderson,  on  the  18th  of  November  to  make  a  re- 
cognizance of  a  route  for  Railroad,  from  the  confluence  of  the 
Little  Tennessee  and  Tuskasege  Rivers  (on  the  line  of  the 
Blue  Ridge  road,)  to  Asheville  in  Buncombe  county,  of  the 
same.  State. 

The  line  examined  passes  up  the  valley  of  the  Tuskasege 
river  to  the  mouth  of  the  Scott's  creek,  and  three  miles  up 
this  creek,  a  distance  of  thirty-two  miles,  with  an  average 
grade  of  not  more  than  26  feet  per  mile,  crossing  in  the  dis- 
tance the  Tuskasege    twice,   Torney's  creek,   Noland  creek, 


10  Document  No.  76.  [Session 

Deep  creek  and  Orowalufta,  where  wooden  bridges  of  large 
span  would  be  required,  and  ten  runs  where  arched  culverts 
would  be  used,  encountering  nine  sharp  bends,  involving  heavy 
work,  in  one  or  two  of  which  a  small  tunnel  may  be  resorted 
to  with  advantage  ;  and  one  tunnel  of  about  1200  feet  in  con- 
nection with  the  two  crossings  of  the  river  above  mentioned, 
which  would  save  more  than  one  mile  in  distance. 

From  the  point  on  Scott's  creek  above  mentioned  to  its 
head,  the  distance  is  about  ten  miles,  requiring  a  grade  of 
about  90  feet  per  mile,  at  the  head  of  this  creek  a  tunnel  of 
about  3000  feet  will  bring  the  line  to  the  head  of  Richland 
creek,  thence  to  the  point  it  empties  into  Pigeon  river  12 
miles,  an  average  grade  of  about  50  feet  per  mile  will  be  re- 
quired, thence  up  Pigeon  river,  crossing  the  head  of  Homi- 
ny creek,  eight  miles  with  a  grade  of  not  exceeding  50  feet 
per  mile,  grading  up  the  river  slope,  and  passing  through  the 
Ridge  to  the  head  of  the  creek  by  a  short  tunnel,  thence 
down  Hominy  to  and  across  French  Broad  river  to  a  point 
about  three  miles  from  Asheville.  distance  IS  miles,  with  an 
average  grade  of  about  40  feet  per  mile. 

At  this  point  my  examination  closed,  (as  I  supposed  a  con- 
nection would  there  be  formed  with  the  North  Carolina  rail- 
road,) and  together  the  means  of  communication  with  Ashe- 
ville, be  determined.  The  difficult  portions  of  this  line  will 
be  the  eleven  miles  on  Scott's  creek,  including  the  tunnel. 
The  fall  is  great  and  irregular — the  valley  crooked,  without 
regular  slope,  but  indented  wTith  numerous  ridges  or  points 
and  ravines,  involving  heavy  cutting  and  filling — the  remain- 
der of  the  line  is  very  favorable  for  a  railroad.  I  present  a 
a  rough  estimate  of  distance  and  cost : 

32  miles  at  $14,000  per  mile,  $448,000  00 

11           "       63,000         "  693,000  00 

11           "       10,000         "  .                110,000  00 

8           "         8,000         "  64,000  00 

18           "       12,000        "  216,000  00 


$1,531,000  00 


lS5S-'9.]  Document  No.  76.  11 

Superstructure,  buildings,  engineering,  &c3        815,000  00 


$2,346,000  00 

($29,325  per  mile.) 

*  *  -x-  *  *  *  # 

Building  stone  and  timber  are  abundant,  and  on  the  greater 
portion  of  the  line,  very  convenient,  and  the  country  through 
which  it  passes  seems  capable  of  furnishing  all  the  provisions 
which  may  be  required  in  the  construction  of  the  work. 
Your  obedient  servant, 

JAS.  L.  RANDOLPH. 

This  line  was  again  examined  in  1858  by  Mr.  McCalla,  en- 
gineer, on  the  Western  North-Carolina  Railroad,  who,  in  his 
report,  confirms  the  statements  in  its  favor  by  Messrs.  Gwynn 
and  Randolph,  and  by  a  comparison  it  will  be  seen  that  this 
line  does  not  cost  as  much  per  mile  as  the  railroad  from  Salis- 
bury to  Morgan  ton. 

The  amount  required  of  the  State  to  complete  this  line  of 
road  would  be  as  follows  : 

Agreeably  to  the  estimates  of  the  engineer, 
the  States'  part  of  the  total  cost,  equip- 
ment, &c,  of  $2,346,000.  $1,564,000 
Agreeably  to  the  estimated  cost  of  the  con- 
struction of  the  road  from  Salisbury  to 
Asheville,  leaves  about  $1,000,000,  of  the 
appropriation  of  1853-'55,  1,000,000 


$     564,000 
To  be  supplied  by  an  appropriation  or  trans- 
fer of  stock  in  the  Western  North-Carolina 
Railroad. 


12 


Document  No.  76. 


[Session 


(B.) 
RAILROAD    STATISTICS. 


|';3 

COST     PER 

NET 

NAMES    OF    KOADS. 

jg   §   TOTAL   COST. 

o 

MILE. 

DEBT. 

EARNINGS. 

Georgia  Centra], 

191  $  3,750,000 

•$19,633* 

$     191,767 

$      582,310 

South-Carolina, 

203 

7,588,037 

37,379* 

3,318,525 

740,535 

Virginia  and  Tennessee, 

204 

6,765,155 

32,917* 

3,261,955 

223,240 

Virginia  Centra!, 

175 

5,384,260 

30,652* 

1,833,170 

295,776 

Baltimore  and  Ohio,  . . 

•382 

24,802,645 

64,928* 

10,986,804 

1,325,287 

Pennsylvania,    

256 

27,266,982 

106,511* 

15,690,524 

1,854,927 

Philadelphia  &  Reading, 

96 

19,363,720 

200,663* 

9,423,506 

1,583,776 

New-York  Central,  .  . . 

556 

30,732,518 

55,274* 

14,402,635 

3,041,120 

New- York  and  Erie,   .  . 

464 

34,469,324 

74,287* 

28,081,468 

1,454,032 

Hudson  River, 

144 

12,737,89b 

88,457* 

9,250,362 

688,880 

Western  Massachusetts, 

155 

10,495,905 

67,715* 

5,839,080 

889,763 

(O.) 

TABLE 

Of  comparative  distances  between  the  proposed  route  through 
Western  North-Carolina,  compared  to  the  route  by  the  com- 
peting line  of  the  East  Tennessee  and  Virginia  line ; 


NORTH   CAROLINA   ROUTE. 

From  New  York  to  Norfolk,  by  the  air  line  road, 

"     Norfolk   to   Salisbury,  shortening  the  line  from 
Hillsboro'  to  Bidgeway, 
From  Salisbury  to  Asheville,  by  the  Swananoa  gap, 
"     Asheville  to  the  line  of  the  Blue  Ridge  Road, 
To  Situo,  in  Macon  county, 
"  Athens,  on  the  East  Tennessee  and  Virginia  Road; 
to  Chattanooga,  by  that  road, 


MILES. 

325 

278 

137 

80 

42 

56 


1858-'9.]                     Document  No.  76.  13 

From  Chattanooga  to  Memphis;  833 

Total  distance  from  New  York  to  Memphis,  1251 

EAST   TENNESSEE    AND   VIRGINIA   ROUTE. 

MILES. 

From  New  York  to  Norfolk,  325 

"     Norfolk  to  Petersburg,  100 

To  Lynchburg,  123 

From  Lynchburg  to  Bristol,  204 

ToKnoxville,  103 

"  Chattanooga,  112 

From  Chattanooga,  333 


Total  distance  from  New  York  to  Memphis,  1290 

The  comparative  distance  between  New  York  and  Atlanta, 
Montgomery,  and  New  Orleans,  through  Western  North-Ca- 
rolina, forming  a  connection  with  the  Georgia  roads  at  Alojay, 
in  Gilmer  county,  will  give  more  than  one  hundred  miles  in 
favor  of  the  route  through  Western  North-Carolina. 


[D.] 

Baltimore,  Dec.  26th,  1S5S. 

J.  C.  Turner,  Esq.,  Chief  Engineer 

of  Western  North-Carolina  Railroad: 

Dear  Sir: — Having  had  the  pleasure  to-day  of  examining 
the  map  and  profile  of  the  line  located  by  you  for  the  W.  N, 
C.  railroad  across  the  mountain  summit  of  the  Swananoa  Gap, 
and  having  had  my  attention  particularly  directed  by  your- 
self to  a  somewhat  novel  feature  in  the  location,  I  cheerfully 
express,  at  your  request,  my  opinion  upon  the  feature  refer- 
red to. 


14:         ,  Document  !No.  76.  [Session 

A  grade  of  two  feet  per  100  or  105  0-10  feet  per  mile,  hav- 
ing been  found  to  combine  the  most  advantages  in  the  ascent 
of  the  mountain  on  its  eastern  slope,  you  have  been,  it  seems, 
obliged,  in  order  to  maintain  that  grade,  to  make  the  line 
recross  itself  in  one  place  at  a  higher  level. 

In  doing  this  an  entire  circle  of  360  degrees  is  turned  upon 
a  radius  of  573  feet  ascending  at  the  rate  above  stated.  This 
part  of  your  location,  is  objected  to,  it  appears,  on  the  ground 
of  its  novelty,  under  the  impression  that,  as  a  similar  case  has 
not  yet  occurred  upon  any  other  railroad,  it  would  be  a  dan- 
gerous experiment  upon  your  own  line.  I  am  enabled  to 
state,  however,  that  when  locating  the  13.  &  0.  railroad  in 
1817,  I  contempla'ed  a  similar  manoeuvre  in  making  the  de- 
scent from  the  Glades  at  Cranberry  summit  to  Cheat  river, 
and  would,  without  hesitation,  have  constructed  the  road  up- 
on the  line  so  located,  had  not  the  adoption  (for  other  reasons) 
of  a  steeper  grade  obviated  the  necessity  of  employing  that 
device,  to  increase  the  length  of  the  descending  plane. 

A  moment's  consideration,  indeed,  will  show  that  with  a 
given  grade  and  curvative  and  cost  of  construction,  it  mat- 
ters not  whether  the  line  pursues  a  spiral  or  serpentine  coursa 
in  ascending  or  descending. 

The  originality  of  the  spiral  feature  would  rather  recom- 
mend the  route  to  the  traveller,  who  upon  all  our  mountain 
lines  is  solicited  by  appeals  to  hU  love  of  the  picturesque. 

In  regard  to  the  feasibility  of  the  grade  of  105  six-tenths 
feet  per  mile  on  your  line,  I  have  only  to  point  to  the  11G 
feet  grade  ond  600  feet  radius  curve  on  the  B.  &  R.  P.,  for 
eight  and  a-half  miles,  continuously  ascending  from  Cheat 
River  to  the  glade  against  the  heavier  trade  of  the  road. 
This  grade  has  been  safely  and  successfully  worked  since 
1852,  and  also  the  grade  averaging  116  feet  per  mile,  for  11 
consecutive  miles  descending  from  the  glades  to  Piedmont, 
on  the  Potomac,  since  1851. 

The  summit  immediately  west  of  Cheat  River  is  passed  with 
106  six-tenths  feet  per  mile,  on  curves  of  600  feet  radius  on 
both  sides  of  the  ridge. 

I  need  scarcely  speak  of  the  temporary  line  of  528  per  mile, 


1858-9.]  Document  No.  76.  15 

on  a  curve  of  300  feet  radius,  np  which  a  locomotive,  propell- 
ed itself,  tender,  and  a  car  of  thirteen  tons,  gross  weight,  at  a 
speed  often  miles  and  more  per  hour,  nor  of  the  other  tem- 
porary line  of  five  and  six  feet  per  100,  over  which  two' and 
three,  and  even  four  cars  of  similar  weight  were  carried  by 
the  same  power. 

The  accompanying  map  and  profile  of  the  Baltimore  and 
Ohio  railroad  west  of  Cumberland,  of  which  I  beg  your  ac- 
ceptance, will  exhibit  the  "loops  "  in  the  line  which  I  had 
intended  to  have  adopted  had  not  reasons  in  no  way  referring 
to  its  practicability  or  propriety  upon  general  principles  in- 
duced me  to  dispense  with  it. 
I  am,  dear  sir, 

very  truly  and  respectfully  yours, 

BENJ.  H.  LATROBE, 
Con.  Engineer  and  late  Chief  Engineer 

of  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  N.C.  AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


00042071961 


FOR  USE  ONLY  IN 
THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  COLLECTION 


Form  No.  A-368,  Rev.  8/95 


